Malevolent Relationships
by Gilana1
Summary: After Voldemort's defeat, Harry deals with a growing estrangement between himself and Ron and Hermione as he tries to find "the one", but life - including a new Dark Lord on the rise - never seems to let Harry have a rest. SLASH AU DISCONTINUED


**Prologue – Awake to a New Life**

Startled green eyes slowly opened. It took a bit of time for them to adjust, but once they did, Harry Potter saw a horde of people crowded around him, and he was also lying on someone's legs, someone who seemed to be keeping him from moving. He felt an odd and powerful pain in his chest and a hand on his head, almost petting him. Harry tried to move, but another hand, probably by the same person, kept him in place as pain shot through his back as well. He winced at the pain, and the person who owned the hands shushed him, moving him back into the position he'd been before.

"Try not to move, Harry," said the person. It was only then he realized it was Ginny.

"What happened?" He noticed that it took effort to speak.

"Some bad spells happened, Potter," said the familiar voice of Madam Pomfrey. He vaguely remembered her not being there a second ago, and then realized as soon as he waked up, she would have rushed over. "Three of them, actually. One hit your arm, another hit your back, and the worst yet hit your chest." She gave a sigh. "I did as much as I could for you back and arm, but there's little I can do about your chest. Very dark magic, that is. I would have asked Professor Snape, but…"

"Is that way it hurts so much, because it was very dark magic?"

"Yes, Potter, that's why. It caused damage to your chest. If you get upset, you'll start to feel something similar to a heart attack, as well as loss of breath." She checked him over. "You won't be up and about for quite a while, and it's imperative that you stay calm, and I'm afraid that something you'll have to get used to, as I don't see your chest fully healing. You really need to go to St. Mungos, as do many others here. You'll be moved as soon as we're sure it's safe."

"What happened?" He asked, again, trying to keep the seriousness of his condition as far out of his mind as possible. His memory had not come back yet, and he needed to know how he got so hurt. He remembered defeating Voldemort, but everything else seemed blank to him right now.

"Well, some Death Eaters hit you, obviously," piped in Ron. "None of us are quite sure how you got the one on your arm, exactly."

"I was there when you get the one your back, but I didn't see anybody," said Fred. "It was right after Percy died, though I know that. Someone made a hit at your back with a spell that neither of us heard, and then –"

"Lucius Malfoy struck them down." Harry finished. He remembered now… It shocked him and Fred both when they'd seen Lucius Malfoy strike down the Death Eater, thereby saving either of them from another attack. He still wondered why he would have done that.

Fred nodded. "Yes, he did. He probably wants you to save him and his family from Azkaban."

Harry shrugged as best as he could lying down. "Probably," he agreed, not really caring one way or the other. Pausing for a moment, he continued, "And my chest?"

Everyone paused, before Hermione spoke. "You destroyed Voldemort, and some Death Eater struck at you with a spell, and then a moment later, tried to utter it again." She paused for a moment, as if wondering what Harry would think about she was going to say next. "Snape stopped him, but he still managed to escape. He was so weak from Nagini's poison; there wasn't much he could do. He passed out soon after from pain and exhaustion. No one really caught the name of the spell. You clutched your chest in pain after the first, and then passed out."

Harry thought about what she said. So, Snape had saved him… again. He wasn't sure how he felt about that, not that he thought the man was evil anymore. Harry had told Hermione to give him a healing potion she'd had with her. It was a strong one, and it seemed to have worked. "What happened to him?" He didn't need to say whom.

"He's not far from here. He's seriously injured from the poison. It'll be a long road to recovery, Madam Pomfrey said, but he will survive," Hermione explained. "Lupin is pretty bad off, too, but he'll survive, as well. Tonks is dead, though."

How many people had died tonight because of him? Trying to protect him? How many people died protecting him from Voldemort? The thought scared Harry. A wave of anger washed over him, and he felt is breathing quicken. The moment it did, he felt terrible pain coming from his chest. Ginny caressed him gently, and shushed him, trying to keep him calm. Slowly, his breathing and heart rate returned to normal. _Is this what the rest of my life is going to be like?_

Later on that day, Harry and the other serious cases were carted off to St. Mungos. Snape awaked in a few days, as did Lupin. Harry was released in a little over a week, with strict instructions to stay calm as possible. He was informed that while his condition was stable, and it would get easier in the next few weeks, it would get worse as he got older. The better he took care of himself, then the easier it would be on him. Therefore, Harry joined a gym in London called _Johnson's Gym_. He wouldn't be attending it just yet, but once he could, he would start working out. That would be a place to start, anyway.

The trials for Severus Snape, and Lucius, Draco, and Narcissa Malfoy were held as soon as possible. Harry was offered a position as an Auror almost immediately upon his release from St. Mungos, but turned it down. Somehow, the idea no longer appealed to him. What was there to do? As an alternative, the Ministry offered him the position of the Ministry of Magic's Liaison to Reformed Death Eaters. At first, Harry was confused, but the Ministry Official explained to him that he would meet with the high profile Death Eaters claiming to have seen the "error of their ways". For those who met the requirements, meet with them an hour a day until they are seen as trustworthy in the eyes of the Ministry.

At first, Harry balked at the idea. Him, an overgrown Parole Officer? Hardly. Once he started thinking about it, he realized that at least, for the time being, it was something he could do. Besides, with the Ministry in such a sensitive position right now – with the war ended – it would be a good idea to keep an eye on things from the inside. That had been Hermione's idea of course. He'd meet with the Minister and a couple of other officials once a week to deliver a report. He didn't like the idea of answering to the Ministry, but there was nothing else that he could think of that he wanted to do, and Hermione did have a point.

The trials were held as soon as possible. Harry's speech in favor of Snape had been quite impassioned, but of course, Harry said a little as possible of the actual details that he'd found out about Snape's past. He knew how much the man valued his privacy, and he was sure he didn't want it broadcasted anymore than it already had been. He had mentioned, however, that he'd saved his life, and given him information that had been vital to Voldemort's downfall. His explanations had been quite convincing, and Severus was released on one condition – Harry would have to meet with him, and watch him very closely. Harry could tell that the older man didn't like that, but he hadn't fought it.

Narcissa and Draco Malfoy's trials went smoothly, each released with Harry as their Liaison. Lucius' was a little more difficult. It was known now that he'd lied to the Ministry the first time, saying that he'd been under the Imperius Curse. The blonde Death Eater didn't miss a beat, explaining that he'd had no choice, because Voldemort had threatened his family, and once a Death Eater – always a Death Eater. He said he'd thought of leaving Voldemort, regardless of the consequences, but once he'd married Narcissa and had Draco, things were more complicated. It as not only his life at stake, but also his wife and son's as well. Voldemort would have used them against him, and indeed did, on my occasions.

Shocked at how convincing Lucius was, Harry wondered if he was telling the truth. Unable to use Veritaserum against him in a trial since Lucius might be able to resist it – some could, although of course, using a Potion on Severus Snape had been a laughable idea to all – they turned to Harry. Thinking, Harry explained how Lucius had stopped the Death Eater from further harming himself or Fred. He also explained that he'd had no reason to do so. So, not only did he not participate in the last fight to anyone's knowledge – for all he did was look for his son – he also saved the life of two people he hated. The Ministry had grudgingly released him after that, giving a note to Harry – since Lucius had been released into his care, as well – that he was to watch him much more closely.

Ron joined the Auror Department, while Hermione joined the Magical Law Enforcement Department, much to the shock of Harry and Hermione. He tried to act as if he was happy for them, and really, he was, but his relationship with them had not been the same since he'd defeated Voldemort. The entire war had changed him. He found himself identifying much more with Snape and the Malfoys than Ron, Hermione, and the Weasley's. They'd all gone back to their life as if nothing had been wrong. Harry couldn't do that, and he started spending less and less time around the time. They couldn't hide the looks of pity at his new, dark demeanor, and Harry couldn't pretend to ignore it.

This applied to his relationship with Ginny, as well. As much as they wanted it to work, it didn't. The two them of fooled themselves for what seemed like forever, even though it had only been seven months. Harry had almost wanted it work, but it didn't, and by the time they'd broken up, neither of them had been able to deny it any longer. While they were both still very much attracted to one another, and yes, they still cared about each other, the love they'd once had was gone. However, life once again through Harry for a loop when, three months later, Ginny had told him she was pregnant with twins, and that both were definitely his.

He'd refused to marry her. Her entire family had been quite annoyed with him at that announcement, but there was nothing either of them could about it. Ginny managed to hide it, so that no one in school had known she was pregnant. After all, she would not have wanted to answer the questions that the other students would have plagued her. So, on November 5, 1999, Alexander Sirius and Evelyn Trianna Potter were born, making Harry and Ginny parents at the ages of nineteen and eighteen respectively, and they'd both agreed to share custody, and had come up with a suitable arrangement.

Ginny had gotten a job as a Healer at St. Mungos. Ginny worked during the day, every day except for weekends. Harry had afternoon meetings every day with Severus and the Malfoys. Therefore, Harry had them every morning, and Ginny had them every night. Mrs. Weasley agreed to baby sit her second two grandchildren – Fleur had given birth earlier in the year to Victoire, her and Bill's first daughter – while they were both working. Ginny would keep them on Saturday, and Harry would have them on Sunday. It was hard, being a father, and he'd often complain to Severus – who he was on a first name basis with now – who honestly didn't care.

The two of them actually got along quite well now, not that either of them would admit it. Severus had been forced to see Harry's change in demeanor, and eventually, forced to see that Harry was not his father. It hadn't been easy, and it had taken many heated discussions – and some close calls on Harry's part, in regards to his chest injury. Now, though, he admitted to himself that he'd much rather spend time with Severus than with Ron, Hermione, and the Weasley's. Actually, he and the Malfoys were being civil to each other as well, although as it turned out, he was much friendlier to Draco than either of his parents. Narcissa was neutral on, but he would never be fond of Lucius.


End file.
